It’s that time again, our annual Johnson Gingerbread Contest. Whether it’s houses, trains, chapels, ski lodges…we go to town with gingerbread, frosting, and candy. Last year’s competition was our first, and this year it was taken to new levels of awesomeness! Below I’ll show photos of each house along with some detail shots. Your job is to vote for your favorite. We’d also love it if you leave comments on why you picked the one you did. Mainly so we can rub it in each others’ faces 
I haven’t had a pork chop since I was a little girl. For years I thought I was allergic to pork, until my friend Elise suggested I try organic pork. Sure enough, no headache, nausea, or ugly rash! Apparently some hormone or antibiotic used in pork is what causes my allergic reaction. So just in the past 6 months have a started buying pork to cook with. This is my first time making pork chops and OH BABY! I was moaning with pleasure with every bite. I don’t know how I went so long without eating these!
Holiday Cookies are a part of the Christmas season, they’re perfect for gifts, parties, or just to have on hand. These Persimmon and Ginger cookies are a special Christmas cookie recipe to me. When I imagine holiday cookies I think of these soft, chewy, and delightfully spicy cookies. They may look simple, but their texture is almost muffin like, and the flavor is so complex. Plus they’re made with persimmon puree so the cookie is actually pretty healthy.
A great way to get a chicken breast juicy and flavorful is to marinate it, and my new favorite marinade for winter uses pomegranate juice. I was at the store a couple weeks ago and saw a big 478 oz jug of POM Wonderful on sale for $7! It’s normally $10 which is still a better deal than $5 for the 16 oz bottle. I had to buy it and although we did drink it, I’ve made about 6 different recipes with it over the past two weeks. I also got a box of pomegranates at Sam’s Club for only $4! As I was checking out the cashier told me she had no idea what a pomegranate was or how to eat one, I know a lot of people feel that way so I’ll also give you a photo tutorial on how to peel and eat a pomegranate.
Here is step two in getting the man in your life to like Asian cooking. Remember that steak you have leftover from the “steak sandwich” (also known as Banh Mi)? Put it to good use in the next few days by making steak summer rolls! (or spring rolls, if you want to know all about the many different names check out my shrimp roll post). This will definitely be stepping out of the meat and potatoes comfort zone, but just remind him that it has the same amazing steak that he loved in his sandwich.
